Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Makes New $3.15 Million Investment in National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 33,495 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,147,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Bridge LLC lifted its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 17,927 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,435,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 2,680 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Optas LLC increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 5.3% in the 1st quarter. Optas LLC now owns 3,238 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $304,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,434 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $225,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 5.3% in the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 3,465 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. 73.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Fuel Gas News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting National Fuel Gas this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings exceeded expectations. Fiscal third-quarter adjusted EPS was $1.54, above the $1.44-$1.47 analyst consensus, while revenue increased 1.1% year over year to $537.5 million. National Fuel Gas Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Cash flow and shareholder returns remained strong. Operating cash flow reached $1.035 billion during the first nine months of fiscal 2026, with $280 million in free cash flow. The board also approved a 4% dividend increase to $2.22 annually, extending NFG’s streak to 56 consecutive years of dividend growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Ohio utility acquisition remains on track. National Fuel completed financing and received final regulatory approval for the CenterPoint Energy Ohio gas utility acquisition, which is expected to close October 1, 2026. Management expects the deal to expand its regulated rate base and support long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and long-term growth opportunities improved. NFG expanded its Line N pipeline project and signed a 20-year agreement for incremental firm transportation capacity. Management continues to forecast average annual EPS growth of approximately 7%-10% through 2029.
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulated utility results improved, but other operations were mixed. Utility earnings increased on higher customer margins and New York rate benefits, while Pipeline and Storage earnings were essentially flat. The upstream segment benefited from hedges and higher realized prices after hedging, partially offsetting weaker production.
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 guidance was reduced. Adjusted EPS guidance was lowered from $7.45-$7.75 to $7.40-$7.60, reflecting expected production of 420-430 Bcf versus the prior 425-440 Bcf forecast. Third-quarter production fell 7% year over year, while lease operating, gathering and depreciation costs increased.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability declined year over year. GAAP EPS fell to $1.45 from $1.64, and acquisition-related transaction and financing costs contributed to a $7.7 million corporate loss. Capital expenditure guidance also increased, adding to near-term spending requirements.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of National Fuel Gas in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $105.50.

National Fuel Gas Stock Up 1.9%

NFG opened at $82.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.62. The company has a market cap of $7.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.46, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.37. National Fuel Gas Company has a one year low of $75.17 and a one year high of $97.06. The business’s fifty day moving average is $78.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.53.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $537.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $564.33 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 19.61% and a net margin of 26.97%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.64 earnings per share. National Fuel Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.400-7.600 EPS. Analysts anticipate that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $0.555 per share. This is an increase from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 30.83%.

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG) is a diversified energy company engaged primarily in the production, gathering, transmission, distribution and marketing of natural gas. The company operates through four principal segments: Exploration & Production, Pipeline & Storage, Utilities, and Energy Marketing. Its integrated asset base spans upstream development in the Appalachian Basin, regional pipeline networks, underground storage facilities, and regulated utility distribution systems.

In its Exploration & Production segment, National Fuel Gas focuses on developing natural gas reserves in the Marcellus and Utica shales, leveraging modern drilling and completion techniques.